Long periods of low temperatures in cold stores can cause frost to penetrate building foundations. This causes floor deformations and damages foundations. Fortunately, this can be prevented with floor heating systems. Depending on the temperature inside a cold store and the thickness and the type of thermal insulation, the heating system power can range from 15-20W/m2.
The power rating of the heating cables cannot exceed 10W/m and the distance between cables cannot exceed 500mm.
For ground and foundation frost protection, the following cables may be used:
- Single-side supplied ELEKTRA VCD10 heating cable
- Double-side supplied ELEKTRA VC10 heating cable
Heating cables with a unit power under 10W/m can be manufactured as a special order.
Floor Construction
Heating cables should be installed under the thermal insulation of the floor to stop freeze penetration.
The cables should be installed:
- Directly in the concrete
- In a layer of sand above the concrete
If installing directly in the concrete, it is important that the expansion joints cannot be crossed by heating cables. The number of cables should be equal to the number of areas created by expansion joints.